1 Overreaction About Every 2025 NHL Playoff Team

With the Battle of Florida finally underway and a 6-2 Panthers win Tuesday, each series in the first round of the 2025 playoffs has officially begun. You know what this means: Takes, scorching hot takes that we will regret later on, but feel so good to spew out now.

In all reality, these series are long and winding with momentum changes throughout, but we love the playoffs because each game means so much. So let's start overreacting about every playoff team a few games into the first round.

The Carolina Hurricanes look just fine without Mikko Rantanen. They are up 2-0 in their first-round series against the New Jersey Devils.

Freddie Andersen leads all playoff goalies with a .960 save percentage, Jordan Martinook is top 10 in the NHL playoffs with a goal and three points in two games, and Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven -- players involved with both parts of the Rantanen trade -- have two points in two games.

The Devils aren't exactly the toughest competition in the playoffs -- they may be the weakest team in the field without star center Jack Hughes -- but you've got to win these games regardless. So far, so good in Carolina.

If things looked a little too easy on the surface for the Avalanche on their way to a 5-1 Game 1 win over the Stars, Game 2's 4-3 overtime loss was a correction.

Game 1 was more evenly played than the scoreboard indicated, with a quiet first period and an even shot count all around. The difference has been high-end talent -- the Stars are without top players Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen. The Avalanche were reminded quickly that the Stars' strength is their depth with Colin Blackwell's overtime winner, and that they were never going to cruise to the second round.

Mikko Rantanen had been one of the best playoff performers of the past few years with the Avalanche, but his play since he's been traded has been concerning. You thought once he settled into the Stars roster and got the extension that we'd see a return to form, but in two playoff games with the Stars, he's been held off the scoresheet and he's got a minus-three rating.

The Stars really needed him to step up in the absence of Jason Robertson, and he hasn't been up to task. With the series even, Game 3 is a crucial time for Rantanen to make a statement and get on the scoresheet in a big moment.

The Oilers left many of us dumbfounded when they didn't even attempt to sign or trade for a new goaltender after last season's heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final loss.

It's not like Stuart Skinner was the entire problem, but he allowed more than a few shaky goals throughout the run, and his unpredictability didn't drastically improve throughout the first half of this regular season.

Oilers vs. Kings Game 1 saw Edmonton rally to tie it up after a 4-0 Kings start, but it didn't even get to overtime before Skinner allowed LA's 6-5 game-winner. You could argue the defense around him has been sloppy at times, but he allowed six goals on 30 shots, which just isn't Cup-caliber goaltending, no matter how you slice it. It's hard to look at Kevin Fiala's long-range shot and Quinton Byfield's tally and absolve Skinner of any blame.

The worst part of this Game 1 result is it's not like it was some huge shock or uncharacteristic given the context we all know. The Oilers pulled Skinner four times in two playoff rounds in his rookie season two years ago. Last season, backup Calvin Pickard picked up his slack midway through the Oilers’ run before he, too, ran out of steam and they reverted back to Skinner.

Pickard had a decent run while Skinner was out with injury at the end of the regular season. Time to put him in there and see what happens.

The Panthers made a statement with their 6-2 Game 1 win over the Lightning. The reigning champions are still the team to beat en route to the 2025 Stanley Cup, and Matthew Tkachuk is still one of the best playoff performers in the league.

He returned from injury and was activated off injured reserve just hours before puck drop and made his playoff debut with two goals and three points. He looked fantastic and now we all sit back and watch to see if he is going to have the best playoff run of his career so far. It doesn't even feel like an exaggeration to think he might.

The Kings look primed to beat the Oilers in the first round for the first time in four tries this season. They survived a late Edmonton rally in the first game for a thrilling 6-5 win just minutes before regulation expired, and it was an extension of the confident vibe they've exuded all season.

Quinton Byfield had a huge goal and he just might elevate his game for the playoff run we've been looking for out of him since he entered the league. Given the Oilers' issues with defense and goaltending and the way the Kings were trending headed into the playoffs, if there were any year to finally overcome the Oilers, this one's it.

Your best players need to be your best players in the playoffs (duh) and no one is quite stepping up to the plate so far like Minnesota's Matt Boldy. Well -- maybe Wild teammate Kirill Kaprizov, who's got a league-leading five points in two playoff games. But Boldy is right behind him with a league-leading three goals and four points in two games.

Watching the Wild vs. the Golden Knights, a tied series, Boldy is taking over at crucial moments and keeping the Wild in games every shift he's a part of. You can't take your eyes off him, and if he keeps it up and the Wild get past the Golden Knights, he's going to elevate his profile in the league.

The Canadiens were so fun to watch down the stretch because they were far from perfect, but they had the effort and heart and just enough developing skill to absolve their mistakes and change the momentum as the game went on.

It looked like it was headed that way once again on Monday, as they erased a 2-0 deficit to force overtime with the top-seeded Capitals. Fueled by a two-goal game from Alex Ovechkin, though, Washington's depth knew it needed to step up for the captain and Anthony Beauvillier -- who is known to produce some playoff magic -- ended it in overtime.

Every shift matters in the playoffs, and as much as the Canadiens could rely on making things happen while down a few goals in the regular season, they've gotta adjust this mentality quickly and start striking first if they want to overcome the Capitals.

If we've learned anything from the Stanley Cup Playoffs over the years, we've learned it's silly to declare a series done after one or two games. But looking at these Devils without star Jack Hughes, you know they don't have a comeback in them down 0-2 in the series to the Canes.

They aren't getting scoring, with just two goals in two games, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom has had to stand on his head to keep these games even remotely close. Better luck next year, perhaps with another Hughes brother in the mix.

For the Senators, this playoff run was always going to be a stepping stone. It was a relief that this core, led by captain Brady Tkachuk, finally qualified for the playoffs. But looking at them now, down 0-2 in the Battle of Ontario, you see the struggles and blemishes against a powerhouse like the Leafs.

Linus Ullmark has had an unfortunate playoff run in net, with a .800 save percentage, averaging 4.5 goals against in two games. The offense ain't doing so hot either, with four goals in two games. It has at least improved and Tkachuk got on the scoresheet in Game 2 after a dismal Game 1. It's all a learning experience, they'll be back next year stronger.

We were all hype for the 4 Nations Face-Off rematch between Connor Hellebuyck and Jordan Binnington here, but it appears winning for Team Canada is the best Binnington's got this year.

The Jets have a 2-0 series lead, and although it's not all Binnington's fault, he doesn't quite have the magic he had that kept Canada on track on the big stage a few months ago. He improved in game two with a .909 save percentage and only two goals allowed, but he's going to have to come up with serious heroics to thwart Kyle Connor and Mark Schiefele right now.

Florida's 6-2 Game 1 win over Tampa Bay reminded us that, as good as the Lightning have been headed into the playoffs, the Panthers seem to know all of their tricks.

The Panthers needed just 16 shots on goal to get six pucks past Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had been the difference for the Lightning down the stretch. The Panthers had three power-play goals, exposing the holes in the Lightning's penalty kill.

The Lightning have been lopsided in both directions all season, so they just might come back and beat the Panthers 6-2 next time out. But for now, the Panthers have them right where they want them.

Why not? The Leafs are up 2-0 on the Senators in the battle of Ontario, and they're making it look easy and fun. The core four has been popping off, and its supporting cast, like overtime hero Max Domi and net-front helper Matthew Knies, has done exactly what it needs to do.

Why wouldn't this be the year the Leafs finally make it to the Stanley Cup Final? They've got solid goaltending, depth up and down the lineup, harder to play against defense, and not a Bruin in sight.

We all looked to the West's gauntlet in fear as playoff matchups were finalized. Colorado and Dallas? Edmonton and LA? Any of these teams has cup-worthy elements in their own right.

Maybe we should've paid more attention to the Minnesota vs. Vegas matchup, as these have been two evenly played games with a series tie to show for it. Vegas was favored and you can see why with the ever-effective power play and depth, but Minnesota's defensively sound structure, solid goaltending, and big stars like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have shown up to give the Golden Knights trouble. Will it only get more difficult as the series shifts to Minnesota?

All we know is the Golden Knights aren't getting out of this one easily, especially if Jack Eichel continues to get contained.

What an incredible start to the playoffs for Alex Ovechkin, who had two goals, impact hits, and a bunch of exciting moments in Game 1's win over the Canadiens. If you were worried he was going to take his foot off the gas after breaking the All-Time scoring record, fear not: It looks like he's hungry for one more Cup. What a way to cap off a record-breaking season.

With Ovechkin looking like his prime self and a solid supporting cast around him, anything could happen.

We have every right to criticize former Jets playoff runs. The team has been disappointing for a few years now with its first-round collapses and struggles responding to adversity.

Game 1's come-from-behind thriller of a win hinted that his team might be different. Now the Jets are up 2-0 in the series against a former demon in the Blues. Kyle Connor and Mark Schiefele are putting on an absolute clinic and reminding us they deserve to be mentioned among the rest of the great forwards in the league. Connor Hellebuyck isn't blowing it, and might derive enough confidence from the team around him this time to stay consistent with his regular-season elite performances.

No matter what happens, we have to respect this iteration of the playoff Jets.